A GEEK DADDY: Sharing a dad's adventures in parenting plus enjoying the geeky side of life

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

STAR TREK STELLAR CARTOGRAPHY

I always enjoy exploring into the backgrounds of my favorite science fiction movies and television series looking into blue prints, concept art, technical schematics and maps that further delve into these realms of fantasy. It is fascinating to look at these things and be able to get expanded looks into the vehicles and locations seen in my favorite sci-fi shows. So I was really GEEKED when Quarto Knows sent my way Star Trek Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library Maps from the Star Trek Universe.

Ever wonder where the Earth is located in relationship to planets such as Bajor or Vulcan within the Star Trek Universe? This spectacular hardcover book and accompanying set of maps highlight the places that have been featured in the various Star Trek TV episodes and movies. Discover the vast expanses of space claimed by the Cardassian Union, Dominion, Klingon Empire and United Federation of Planets as well as how this area is a very small portion of just the Milky Way galaxy. So despite the generations of Star Fleet adventures that have taken place there still is a remarkably large frontier to explore in Star Trek filled with strange new worlds and civilizations where no man has gone before.

The material in this collection is portrayed as if it has been pulled from the cartography archives of Star Trek's Starfleet Academy. It includes a 48-page 8" x 10" book which shares some of the history of the four quadrants of known space within the Milky Way galaxy of the Star Trek universe. It also includes ten 24' x 36' maps that show Federation space—and beyond—through the view of the multiple players in galactic politics. These include an ancient Vulcan navigational chart, a Klingon Empire map with captions in native Klingon, an official Romulan government map of the Empire, a native Cardassian Union map from the Bajor occupation, along with Federation maps from the 24th Century.

The illustrated reference book and maps come in a nice clamshell case that features a picture of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. This is a great way to safeguard and store the materials provided in Star Trek Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library Maps from the Star Trek Universe. The clamshell case has a notation about the collection imprinted on it which reads "these star charts, battle maps, and records represent a multifaceted view of known space, through both the Federation lens and that of our neighbors, allies and even enemies." A great description to get you excited when diving into what is contained inside.

I had a great time examining the four quadrants of the Milky Way going through this book and its accompanying maps. From the references of the Delta and Gamma quadrants being so far away from Federation space in the Deep Space Nine and Voyager television series, I'd always pictured these areas of space being in different galaxies. Star Trek Stellar Cartography let me visualize that these adventures all took place within our own Milky Way galaxy. These maps are a great way to visualize that there are a whole lot of places to explore and stories to tell within the Star Trek universe.

Trace the route of the Intrepid-class starship Voyager as its crew had to make their way back home to the Alpha Quadrant after being mysteriously transported to the far reaches of the Delta Quadrant. Note the sites of battles in the Dominion War as these invaders from the Gamma Quadrant encroached upon the Federation's territory. Follow the path that Captain Kirk took in his 5 year mission of exploration which was the setting for the original Star Trek TV show that started it all. There is a lot of intriguing things you can examine with Star Trek Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library Maps from the Star Trek Universe.

This is a great reference set for a Star Trek fan! Star Trek Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library Maps from the Star Trek Universe absolutely earns A Geek Daddy nod of approval for all the enjoyment it has provided me scanning through its materials. To pick it up for yourself head over to quartoknows.com and search for their Star Trek publications. Also available from Quarto Knows is Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive and Star Trek: The Complete Unauthorized History.